A big milestone for the Gold Line Foothill Extension project on Saturday: the final piece of track was installed on the 11.5-mile line that will extend the Gold Line from its terminus in eastern Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border. The project includes six new stations in downtown Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, downtown Azusa and adjacent to Citrus College and the Rosedale development.

The Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, an independent agency, is building the project and will turn it over to Metro, which will operate it. Metro currently forecasts the project to open in early 2016. Here’s the news release from the Construction Authority:

Hundreds of community members, project stakeholders and elected officials celebrate completion of the light rail track system for 11.5-mile Foothill Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa light rail project

AZUSA, CA – The Foothill Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa today held a Track Completion Ceremony which celebrated construction completion of the light rail track systems needed for the 11.5-mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa. The event took place near the future Azusa Downtown Station in the City of Azusa with more than 300 community members, project stakeholders, and elected officials in attendance. The event culminated in the installation of the last of nearly 300,000 e-clips (e-clips permanently attach the steel rail to the concrete railroad ties), marking the permanent connection between the cities of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa, via this new light rail line. A sidewalk marker was also unveiled during the ceremony, recognizing importance of the day to these corridor cities.

“Installing 28-miles of light rail track is an enormous milestone for our project,” stated Glendora City Council Member and Chairman of the Foothill Gold Line Board of Directors, Doug Tessitor. “It took many months and the hard work of many talented people to get to this point. It is a major achievement and I am glad we took the time to celebrate.”

Congress Members Grace Napolitano and Judy Chu joined Azusa Mayor Joseph Rocha; Glendora City Council Member and Foothill Gold Line Board Chairman Doug Tessitor; Claremont Councilman and Foothill Gold Line Board Vice Chair and Joint Powers Authority Chairman Sam Pedroza; City of Duarte, Metro and Foothill Gold Line Board Member John Fasana; Metro Board Member AraNajarian; State Senator Norma Torres; State Assembly Member Roger Hernandez; City of Azusa Council Member Uriel Macias; Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Michael Antonovich; among many others in the celebration.

“The community is realizing that the dream of having the Foothill Gold Line in their town is quickly becoming a reality,” added Tessitor. “A project that has been nearly four years in the making is now less than a year away from completion. The on time, on budget project will forever change the transportation and economic landscape of the San Gabriel Valley and Greater Los Angeles region.”

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About the Foothill Gold Line – The Foothill Gold Line is a nearly $2 billion, 12-station extension of the Metro Gold Line light rail system, being overseen by the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature. The project is planned in two segments – Pasadena to Azusa and Azusa to Montclair. The Pasadena to Azusa segment is fully funded by Los Angeles County’s Measure R and is on budget and on schedule to be completed in late-September 2015 when it will be turned over to Metro for testing and pre-revenue service. Metro will determine when passenger service begins on the line. The Azusa to Montclair segment is currently undergoing advanced conceptual engineering, and will be shovel-ready in 2017. The Construction Authority is currently seeking $1 billion to construct the Azusa to Montclair segment.

So, what is the update and progress report about the stations? How far along are they? I wish Metro and/or the construction agency would stop congratulating themselves and work to finish the stations AHEAD of schedule. Instead of pushing the open back even further!

Judy Chu’s next photo op may be the opening the 710-truck / toll tunnel she has fought for with these words I actually heard her say at a San Gabriel Governments meeting: “The 710 tunnel is not about improving traffic, it’s about keeping the West Side from grabbing our money!” Congratulations METRO you just named a station for Molina and gave Chu the spotlight right before their elections–do you think the taxpayers got the message yet about the party in favor at the “Taj”? Judy’s opponent,
Orswell, who is pro transit but anti 710 Tunnel did!

I’m not sure who said the line would open in 2014 or 2015 — it wasn’t Metro. Since the actual construction began, work has progressed on time and the line should be ready to hand over to Metro in 2015. At that time, testing will begin and then we’ll have a better handle on an expected opening.